Morning Buzz: Monday 12.3.12

The state Legislature today swears in its largest freshman class since 1966. Bee, LA Observed

The final vote update from Los Angeles County has given Democrat Steve Fox a 145-vote lead over the presumed Republican victor, Ron Smith, in the 36th Assembly District. Smith led by 2,000 votes on the day after the Nov. 6 election and he says he will seek a recount. Bee

Sharon Quirk-Silva, the Fullerton mayor who surprised political experts in both parties with her upset victory over Republican Assemblyman Chris Norby, will be sworn into office Monday, giving Democrats their first Assembly super-majority in 120 years. Voice of OC

Paul Priolo, the Republican leader in the state Assembly the last time that Democrats has a super-majority in Sacramento, is no longer a Republican ("Newt Gingrich was the final straw") but he has some advice for them anyway. George Skelton/LAT

City Hall unions can focus on the 2013 election races now that Richard Riordan's pension measure is out of the way. Rick Orlov/DN

The City Council has summoned LAFD Chief Brian Cummings on Tuesday to explain why his department has been "unwilling or unable to develop a plan to reduce response times and improve public safety." LAT

A controversial plan to separate the two northern runways at LAX by 260 feet advanced last week when airport staff recommended the proposal for further environmental review over other runway options. LAT

The city Department of Animal Services once again wants to assess the behavior of its dogs and cats, overturning a policy against so-called temperament testing. DN

An email pitch invites LA Observed to a Dec. 6 birthday celebration and fundraiser to help Assessor John Noguez get out on bail "so that he can be at home to care for his three precious dachshunds, visit his ailing mother, and spend time with family and friends as he moves forward with his legal case." It's at Leonardo's in Huntington Park.

Howser played one of the “folk” as larger than life and cannily for profit (at least until he stopped, for reasons that are his own for now), but the insinuating glee with which he took on California had more purposes than the standard con. Howser wasn’t just pitching the muchness of California, an abundance anyone should be able to see unaided. He was pitching the almost infinite otherness within the ordinary of California, particularly when California is considered with joy.

In a direct shot at rival Telemundo, Univision will announces today that UniMas is the new name for its second-largest network, currently called TeleFutura. NYT

The New York will offer buyouts again. “There is no getting around the hard news that the size of the newsroom staff must be reduced,” says executive editor Jill Abramson. Romenesko

Gerard Baker, deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal, has been named managing editor. Romenesko

The launch party for BuzzFeed's Los Angeles bureau was held in the drizzle at Skybar. Fishbowl LA

More

The Supreme Court will hear a case from Los Angeles on Tuesday to decide for the first time who can be held responsible for polluted storm water that runs off city streets and into rivers and bays. LAT

The case arises from a long-running dispute between Southern California environmental groups and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District over the billions of gallons of polluted water that flow into the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers after heavy rainfalls.